A South Bay lifeguard earned the Governorâs Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor award for a risky rescue in a deep-water cave off Palos Verdesâ rocky coast.
Nick Macko, an Ocean Lifeguard Specialist with the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguards, was given the honor on Monday, Jan. 25, during a virtual ceremony with Governor Gavin Newsom.
It was the third award Macko has received for the rescue, following the California Surf Lifesaving Association Medal of Valor and the United States Lifesaving Association Medal of Valor awards last year. It s only the second received by the department, the first awarded to Pat O Neil for a swift water rescue in Malibu Canyon in 2018.